The Eternal Struggle
by Sophisticated Mercenary
Summary: AU: After centuries of constant warring, the people of Cocoon and Pulse are at peace. But Fang, the daughter of Pulse's leader, is determined to go against Pulse tradition for her own selfish reasons. Meanwhile, a young woman from Cocoon called Lightning is trying her best to rise through the ranks of Cocoon's military amidst rising tensions. When these two meet, will love triumph?
1. Introducing Fang & Vanille

**XXX**

Fang walked leisurely through the castle yard and towards the dungeons. She took her time to respond to each salute from the few guards who were on their breaks. Stopping in front of the grim dungeon door, she withdrew a key from her pocket and unlocked the door. It creaked as it slowly opened, revealing seven cells, each housing a different kind of criminal. Fang didn't care for the six of them, but the seventh caused her to grin.

"Vanille, at this rate my father will have your head on a platter. You know you can always ask me if you need anything." Fang said amusedly while she unlocked Vanille's cell door and let the amused girl out. Vanille chuckled a little before turning serious.

"I can't help it if the war reparations leave us nothing. Your clan is the only one who isn't required to contribute. Imagine the life for the rest of us, being forced to petty thievery and mercenary work while your clan dines with Behemoth flesh and wine from Cocoon. I can't understand why people don't do something about it." Vanille ranted through the same rant she always did when Fang chastised her for stealing. Fang gave her a sympathetic look before beginning to lead Vanille outside of the castle.

"I think people respect my father too much, to be honest. They think he led us to a defensive victory against Cocoon. Without him, they wouldn't be free, so to speak." Fang said after they had walked for a brief moment through the yard and through the Great Hall. Vanille raised an eyebrow.

"You have your doubts?" Vanille questioned and stopped just outside the castle. Fang halted her movement also and turned towards Vanille.

"Every time I question him about the battles of legend such as The Stand on the Fields and The Massacre of Eden, he waves me off, like he doesn't know what to tell. And when I talk to the other Yuns who were there, they can talk about those battles for hours. I don't know, maybe talking about them causes too much pain for him. After all, my mother…" Fang trailed off, her face turning grim and sad. Vanille gave a comforting smile and lifted Fang's head slightly with her hand.

"That is all history Fang. What actually matters, is the present and the future. Have you talked to your father about the Search?" Vanille changed the subject while letting go of Fang's chin. Fang turned her gaze away towards the distant horizon and sighed.

"I've been meaning to. Today is my last day as a child. Being an adult scares me Vanille and if my father won't allow me to look for a partner outside the clans, I don't know what I'll do…" Fang trailed off again, her good mood being turned down once again. Vanille took Fang's hand and squeezed it firmly.

"Come on, let's go talk to him. The gathering of the clans must be over by now." Vanille said as she began to drag Fang back inside with her. Fang reluctantly followed Vanille inside and through the Great Hall and into the Throne Room. It was a magnificent place, covered in gold and silver, with a throne made from the bones of slain beasts. On the Throne sat Fang's father, Dark Mane, the leader of the Yun clan and Supreme Commander of Pulsian armies.

Fang's father stood up as his daughter approached, his pitch black and extremely long, thick hair falling down behind him. His ceremonial armor shined brightly as the sun shone through the windows, illuminating the room. He took a few steps down the stairs in front of the throne, so that he was on equal ground with his daughter and heir apparent. Vanille dropped to one knee and placed her hand over her heart in respect.

"Rise Vanille. In this hall only enemies and fools bow to me." Dark Mane said sarcastically in his deep and authoritative voice. Vanille did as she was told and Fang's hands shook a little because of her excitement. Dark Mane gestured for Vanille and Fang to sit down next to a table which was usually meant for guests of state. The two Royal Guards in the room were clearly agitated that their Chief would consider someone from a lesser clan his equal, but they refrained from commentary and stood silently beside the throne with their spears at their sides.

"Big day tomorrow. You getting nervous yet Fang?" Dark Mane questioned, even though he could clearly see that Fang was anxious. Fang looked to Vanille instead of answering and she rolled her eyes in disbelief before turning her attention towards Dark Mane.

"Fang wanted to request something that isn't quite traditional among your clan." Vanille began and Fang could almost hear one of the Royal Guards raise an eyebrow. Dark Mane turned his gaze quickly from Vanille back to Fang, with an expecting look on his face.

"Father I… I want to find my partner from… Cocoon." As soon as the words left Fang's mouth Dark Mane stood up violently, the table nearly turning over. He quickly dismissed the guards without a hint of restrain in his voice. He slammed the doors shut behind the guards and turned towards his daughter.

"How dare you ask something like that?! My father and I, along with thousands of Pulsians shed blood and sweat to rid ourselves of their yoke and now you wanna invite one of them to _rule_ here?! Have you gone mad?!" Dark Mane fumed at his daughter and Fang felt like shrinking down to a small insect, because that's how she felt every time her father raged at her.

"With all due respect, my Chief, but that is in the past, is it not?" Vanille changed the way she spoke, so as to not insult Dark Mane and possibly risk her head. Dark Mane turned from his daughter to Vanille and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"If we truly want to live in peace after the reparations are paid, we need to maintain relations. Having Fang marry an important noble from Cocoon would show them that we are willing to put the past behind us and move forward in friendship and understanding." Vanille tried her best to reason, much to Fang's surprise. Vanille wasn't exactly known for her politeness, but to help her friend, she could be anything.

"I know of the sacrifices Pulse had to make to drive off the Cocoonians, but it's been over for nearly two decades now. Didn't mother work tirelessly to find a peaceful solution to our constant warring?" Fang treaded carefully, hoping that mention of her mother would calm her father down. It seemed to work, as Dark Mane relaxed into a more standard posture from his aggressive one.

"Your mother was so beautiful Fang. Her smile could melt the coldest heart. But her love of Cocoon was her downfall. My outburst shames her memory. Forgive me." Dark Mane apologized and looked out the window towards the sky, where his beloved now rested. Fang carefully placed her hand on her father's shoulder, even though he was significantly taller than her.

"Reactionary clans were her downfall, not Cocoon… Wouldn't it honor her memory if her dream of peace could be fulfilled by her only child?" Fang pushed, hoping that her father would relent. Dark Mane placed his hand over Fang's and held it there for a while. Vanille waited excitedly, hoping that they had gotten through.

"Even if I gave my blessing, I can't guarantee that the other clans would accept him or you as their next leaders then. Having a female heir already puts a lot of strain on my throne, and having a Cocoonian marry you would probably break it." Dark Mane said grimly after a lengthy silence. Fang retracted her hand and lowered her head. Her duty to her people had to come first, even she knew that, but ruling with a partner she didn't want would make her wrathful and thus invite unnecessary conflict to an already fragile nation.

"But our clan has endured worse." Dark Mane suddenly said, causing Fang to lift her head in excitement.

"So, if it is your honest desire to seek a worthy companion from Cocoon, I shall not stop you." Dark Mane said and Fang couldn't contain herself. She jumped up and hugged her father tightly, wrapping her hands around his neck. Vanille giggled a little as Dark Mane lowered to one knee so that Fang could drop off.

"Now calm down, we are not alone here. People will think I've gone soft if they see me hugging my child instead of beating her." Dark Mane joked and laughed a little as Fang blushed slightly after her outburst. Vanille smiled happily and began to leave the room so that the two could talk over some details in peace.

"Now, as is custom, you will take a guardian with you. I think it is rather obvious who you will take, so that is as good as solved already. But the issue I see, is that nobody on Cocoon knows you, except for the select few who deal with me from time to time. How are you gonna prove that you are the heir to the Yun leadership? Only sign of our royal authority is in a Cocoonian war museum and you very well can't lug the throne around." Dark Mane said and Fang chuckled a little.

"I think I'll manage. Besides, if I don't tell anyone who I am, then I will know that they love me for who I am and not for the power I will inherit." Fang reasoned, much to Dark Mane's surprise. He often forgot how clever his daughter could be.

"Very well. I'll let you go get ready. I have some politicking to do. Bloody hell I miss the fighting." Dark Mane grumbled as he returned to the throne and summoned the guards back to continue his day in court. Fang dismissed herself and began to make her way to her room. On the way, she saw Vanille in the yard looking over some flowers and decided to make a detour.

"You could have told your father the whole truth." Vanille began to talk as soon as Fang entered the yard. Fang looked around to see that no guards were near them before walking up next to Vanille.

"And made him confine me to my room until he had made arrangements for a suitable husband? I think not." Fang finished with a snort and looked at the roses Vanille was looking over. The Crimson Beauty was the rose's name, named after a red-haired Yun, who was rare in her beauty, since Yun's generally only had brown or black hair. The rose reminded Fang of Vanille in many ways, most of all the color and beauty.

"When you come back with a woman in tow, your father will have her executed in the best possible scenario. Then he will be forced to elect another Yun as his heir and your line would end. Better if you just told him straight up and saved some poor girl her head." Vanille said blatantly, as was often her way. Fang scoffed and looked to the sky.

"My mother would haunt my father until the end of his days if he ever dared to disown me." Fang said morbidly and turned away from the roses. Vanille sighed and did the same. Sometimes she hated how mired in tradition everything on Pulse was. On Cocoon, people had liberty unlike here. They had weapons, vehicles, entertainment and everything that Pulse lacked. Still, it was a home and Vanille would never give it up.

"Well, be that as it may, we need to get ready for the trip. Have you packed yet?" Vanille asked as she began to lead Fang towards Fang's room. Fang shook her head and began to follow after Vanille, her mind heavy with thoughts about herself and her people's future. But surely the people would let her rule even with a partner of the same sex as her? And after her time was up, they would elect a worthy successor, who Fang herself would nominate? With these thoughts plaguing her mind, Fang entered her room and began to pack for tomorrow's journey and the beginning of her adulthood.


	2. Introducing Lightning & Lebreau

**XXX**

Lightning loved the life in the military. It was strict, organized and rewarding. The government poured immense resources to help advance the military and thus ensuring the safety of the people. In a few hundred years, Cocoon had evolved from an insignificant raid target for Pulsians to a super power that was able to enforce its will on its neighbor. Each and every soldier who enlisted was revered as a hero and they enjoyed a high-standard of living. But that high-standard came on the backs of Pulsians, who were paying immense war reparations from the last conflict.

Some people, who have been named enemies of the state, have been looking for ways to topple the government, whom they believe to be the reason why Pulse and Cocoon can't truly live in equality. Lightning's younger sister Serah, is a member of these "renegades", much to Lightning's disappointment. One of the reasons why Lightning was doing her best to rise through the ranks in the military was to ensure that her household would never become under suspicion.

"Hey Farron, you're heading home?" A young male soldier asked way too casually from his Sergeant. Lightning holstered her gunblade and closed the bag she had been packing before turning towards the soldier.

"Ten pushups and a proper salute, and I may answer you, _private_." Lightning said firmly, causing the soldier to immediately drop on his stomach. Ten pushups and a salute later, Lightning returned the gesture.

"Yes, I am heading home. How about you? Did Lieutenant Amodar sign off on your request to see your newborn son?" Lightning asked casually. Even though she demanded strict obedience and respect from her soldiers, she was always interested in their lives. That way, she knew she could always count on them in the field. There had even been a single soldier thus far who had learned her real name, but Lightning had no idea where she was now.

"Yes, ma'am. I've gotten the weekend off so I can spend a full day with my family in Palumpolum. Although I kinda wish I would have been chosen to fight amongst those who are going to Old Eden. You've heard what's going on over there?" The soldier questioned and Lightning nodded. Old Eden was the former Capital of Cocoon, but it was completely annihilated during the last conflict. The Massacre of Eden, they called it.

"Yeah, some renegades have been seen gathering there in force and the guys over at the Intelligence Wing are saying that they have hired the help of some Pulsian mercenaries. Hard to imagine how those barbarians got here in the first place, but then again, our border is still full of cracks." Lightning lamented. The soldier remained silent and looked at his watch.

"Oh, I gotta go Sergeant, my train is arriving. Have a nice weekend!" The soldier finished while already speeding towards the train station. Lightning chuckled as she watched after the speeding soldier. Then her mood turned grim. Lightning hadn't heard from Serah in a while and the situation in Old Eden worried her greatly. What if her sister was involved? Forcing these unpleasant thoughts to the back of her mind, Lightning made her way over to her car in the parking lot. The drive home would be long and uneventful, as it always was, but the satisfaction of sleeping in her bed at home was well worth the boredom.

_Three hours later…_

Lightning parked her car on the side of the street and exited it. She lived with her sister in a small, but comfy house. Lightning hoped to one day buy a separate house for her sister, when the time came for them to have families of their own. But that seemed like a distant future and for the time being she was happy to have her sister's company.

Lightning walked to the front door and used her key to unlock it. Stepping inside, Lightning gently put aside her bag and the gunblade before taking off her boots and jacket. The first thing on her mind was a long and relaxing shower. On her way to the bathroom she passed by a small table dedicated to important photos. One of the photos was face down and on the back was written "Please, help us". The picture was of Lightning and Serah, taken just before Lightning left for boot camp. Lightning sighed deeply and set the photo upright again.

Taking the final steps to the shower, Lightning stripped and put her dirty clothes to the laundry basket. Turning on the valves to test the water's temperature, Lightning stepped inside once she deemed it warm enough. In the military, where the showers were shared, Lightning had often received gazes of admiration and lust from both men and women. Lightning knew that she was fit and even decently good looking in her own opinion. Still, she had never found anyone special enough to catch her interest. Her sister had often teased her about it, calling her a prude, amongst other things. But matters of the heart would often solve themselves, as Lightning's mother used to say, so she didn't mind being single.

Finishing her lengthy shower, Lightning stepped outside and took a towel to dry herself. She didn't feel particularly hungry or interested in watching TV, so she opted to just go to bed and have a solid night's rest after an exhausting week. Stopping by her drawer, she pulled out a fresh pair of panties as she hated the feeling of sleeping naked. Then she slipped between the sheets and pressed a button on the wall next to her bed that pulled down black curtains to cover the windows. In the pitch black darkness, Lightning fell asleep.

_In the middle of the night…_

Lightning woke with a bang as someone rammed through her front door. She quickly rolled off her bed and pulled a pistol from under the bed. She then stood up and leaned against the wall next to the door that led to the rest of the house. Carefully opening it, she peeked into the darkness and saw no movement. Lightning was about to go through the door when she smelled blood and heard a small whimper.

"_Claire…_" The weak voice called, but even being so weak, Lightning could recognize that voice anywhere. Lebreau. Lightning quickly rushed next to her bed where she switched on the lights before rushing out to the living room where Lebreau was heavily bleeding. Lightning lowered herself down to Lebreau's level on the floor and saw that Lebreau had a nasty cut right between her breasts that went all the way down to her stomach coupled with two bullet wounds; one on her right arm and one on her left leg. Luckily, the cut wasn't too deep and the bullets had gone through.

"All right, stay calm. Let me help you up on to the couch." Lightning said as she gently wrapped her arms around Lebreau who slightly whimpered, but didn't resist. Lebreau was surprisingly light and Lightning managed to get her to the couch without much trouble. Then she speeded to her first-aid cabinet and pulled out some string along with a needle and some disinfectant coupled with bandages. Rushing back, Lightning put the medical stuff on the table and helped Lebreau remove her shirt and pants.

"This might sting a little." Lightning said as she applied the disinfectant on the wounds, causing Lebreau to loudly scream. Realizing that the sewing up might hurt a lot, Lightning ran up to her liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

"Here, down as much as you can." Lightning said as she handed Lebreau the bottle who wasted no time. When she was satisfied, Lightning put the string through the needle and started to sew up the cut wound. Lebreau bit her teeth and held her tongue back. Even with the alcohol in her system, the pain was considerable. After what seemed like an eternity, Lightning had managed to sew up all the wounds to the best of her abilities. Lightning took the bandages and started to cover the wounds when Lebreau lifted her left arm to Lightning's face.

"Thank… you…" Lebreau said as she passed out from the mix of pain, exhaustion and alcohol. Lightning smiled a little in relief. She finished her bandaging and took the empty bottle from the sofa and placed it along with the needle on the table. Then she walked over to her door that was essentially broken now; the hinges were displaced. Sighing, she went to the tools cabinet in the small garage where there was too much random stuff to allow a car to be parked there. Lightning took out a hammer and some nails and walked back to the door. She ripped off the old nails from the hinges and straightened them out before hitting them back with new nails, all the while holding the door straight.

After a somewhat successful outcome, Lightning returned the hammer to the garage and closed the door again. She would have to buy a new lock and replace the wood, but that could be done later. Satisfied, Lightning went to her bedroom and took her pillow and blanket with her to the living room. There, she lay down next to Lebreau on the floor, who was slightly wheezing in her sleep. It didn't take long for sleep to find her again.

_In the morning…_

Lightning woke up when a foot was tickling her nose. Lebreau had shifted enough so that her foot had dropped. Lightning chuckled a little and rose up from the floor. She picked up her pillow and blanket and saw that they were covered in blood. Lightning sighed and carried them over to the laundry basket and washed her hands in the bathroom's sink. Then, realizing that she was practically naked, she went to her bedroom to get clothed. Feeling strangely lazy, she only decided to put on a T-shirt with her panties.

Imagining how hungry Lebreau must be when she wakes up, Lightning decided that cooking a small breakfast meal would be in order. She was no cook, but some scrambled eggs with bread would probably suffice. Leaving the bedroom and going to the kitchen, Lightning observed Lebreau being still fast asleep.

Lebreau woke up when the smell of eggs hit her nose and she managed to smile a little. With great effort, she managed to rise to a sitting position. Every place hurt like hell, but she still mustered the strength to stand up and walk over to the kitchen. When Lightning saw Lebreau approach, she hurried over to help Lebreau.

"You're still quite the trooper I see." Lightning said happily as she helped Lebreau sit down. Lebreau chuckled a little as Lightning placed scrambled eggs on the plate in front of her along with a small slice of bread.

"Sorry, I'm not a cook, but hopefully this will satisfy you." Lightning said a little apologetically and Lebreau shook her head slightly in response.

"No, no this is just fine. Thanks Claire." Lebreau said and used her left hand to pick up the fork. With the fork she began to shovel food into her mouth. Lightning smiled contently as Lebreau ate up like it was her last meal.

"So, wanna tell me why you are all shot up?" Lightning inquired in a light tone and suddenly Lebreau's face fell. She finished her bread and used a small piece of paper to clean her mouth and its surroundings.

"Intelligence Wing messed up bad. You know about the shit going on in Old Eden?" Lebreau questioned and Lightning nodded.

"So, me and my squad were sent there to wipe out a small group of renegades and their Pulsian allies. But when we got there, it was completely empty. It looked like no soul had been there after the war ended. So the squad relaxed, lit a campfire and so on, when suddenly we were attacked. All I can remember clearly was that there were a lot more people than Intel had thought. I think I'm the only one who survived. My combat suit gave me enough strength to make it here to Bodhum, which isn't that far of a trip anyway, but the suit ran out of energy and I had to drop it. Then the pain hit me and I only managed to barely reach your house and break in before my strength vanished." Lebreau told her grim tale and Lightning listened worriedly. The first thing that came to Lightning's mind was her sister.

Was she involved in this attack?


	3. Introducing Serah & Noel

**XXX**

Serah sat at a nice campfire in the ruined city of Old Eden and carefully observed the mercenaries opposite of her. Their leader was a grizzly Yun named Scar, his name coming most likely from the large scar running across from his forehead, through the left eye and ending at the left cheek. He probably had more scars under his armor, but Serah couldn't see those. His hair was dark brown and rather long, but surprisingly well-kept. The last distinct feature Serah could see was the eyepatch that covered the empty hole where his left eye used to be.

"It ain't polite to stare, young one." Scar suddenly spoke in a deep voice that seemed like a common feature in most Yun men. Serah averted her eyes quickly, looking instead at the fire in front of her. Out the corner of her eye Serah could see some of her comrades' drag away the bodies of the fallen soldiers.

"Don't worry Serah, they will be disposed of with honor. I'll make sure of it." Noel said and gave a reassuring look to back up his words. Serah nodded and closed her eyes. She began to see the battle all over again, it being still fresh in her memory.

_Serah fought in a line with Noel and Scar and several mercenaries whose names she didn't know. The Cocoon Army fired towards them as they charged, the still air broken by terrifying war cries. Some soldiers froze in sheer horror while others outright fled. A few brave ones didn't try to flee and among them stood an old friend; Lebreau. Serah couldn't fight her. Lebreau noticed Serah, but before communication could commence, one of Serah's comrades' shot towards Lebreau, piercing her combat suit. Scar swung his enormous blade and cut Lebreau straight down the middle._

_Seeing their commander fall, the last of the soldiers broke and tried to flee. They were quickly cut down, however and Scar walked over to Lebreau and raised his sword for the final blow. Serah screamed "No!" and ran in front of the blade. Scar stopped his swing mid-motion and looked at Serah with a curious eye._

"_She gets to leave." Serah said strongly and Scar holstered his blade after a brief moment. Serah was surprised, but didn't dare question it. Instead, she turned around and looked down at Lebreau who looked both grateful and horrified. Serah helped her up and waved over a medic._

"_He will give you a shot that will help you make it out of here. Wherever you end up, please don't tell Claire about this." Serah half plead, half ordered. Lebreau nodded hesitantly and the medic gave her an adrenaline shot. Without further words, she began to flee as fast as she could._

"Scar, may I ask you something?" Serah tried to hide her nervousness and was glad to see the Yun nod. He looked at her firmly, as if studying her.

"During the battle, you spared an old friend of mine because I said so. Why? I thought you would hate anyone in the military too strongly to even consider such a thing." Serah questioned and Scar remained silent for a while. Serah had heard the other mercenaries talk about the last war with such venom in their voices, but not Scar. In fact, he had remained mostly silent, yet his men had followed him without question.

"Hatred is something I learned to bury deep inside long ago. It clouds one's judgment and only leads to more hatred. Why don't you hate me?" Scar answered and asked a question of his own. Serah thought she had an answer ready, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.

"So why do you fight then?" Serah continued to question after a brief silence. Scar closed his eye and again remained silent for a while.

"I need money and resources. More than that I will not say." Scar answered simply, his demeanor having changed a little. Serah knew better than to question further and instead stood up to find Noel. One of Scar's men passed her as she was looking for Noel in the ruins and Serah looked just long enough to see that he whispered something into Scar's ear. Scar nodded and the messenger began to walk towards Serah's direction again.

"Oh hey Serah. Looking for me?" Noel asked as he saw Serah observe Scar from the distance. Serah snapped towards Noel and gave an awkward smile.

"Yes, I was. Can you come over here for a second?" Serah said as she entered a ruined building and gestured for Noel to follow. Noel did as was asked of him and when Serah was sure they weren't heard, she began to talk.

"What do you know about Scar?" Serah asked and Noel furrowed his eyebrows a little.

"Not many facts, if you wanted those. Mostly rumors and some legends. His men refuse to speak of him, but I think it is out of respect, not hate. He has a certain aura about him, but I can't quite place it. Seems familiar though…" Noel trailed off and Serah leaned against a broken wall.

"All right, thanks Noel. So, moving on, what's our next step? We can't very well stay here. Once the government finds out what happened here, they'll just send more men to wipe us out." Serah inquired, but much to her dismay, Noel simply shrugged. Neither of them had experience in warfare beyond simple combat and going against the Cocoonian Army was no small feat.

"Let's ask a veteran." Noel said and exited the building with Serah hot on his heels. Making their way back to the campfire, Serah sat down on her old spot and Noel sat next to her. Scar slightly raised his head so as to acknowledge their presence.

"Noel and Serah. I have a proposition for your leaders." Scar spoke before either of them could and it caught Serah slightly off-guard. She looked at Noel who nodded for Scar to continue.

"There is a certain Yun coming to Cocoon within the next few days. Her capture would greatly aid me and my men and afterwards we would be in a much better position to help you in your campaign." Scar spoke and looked from Noel to Serah.

"How would this woman help you?" Serah questioned a little worriedly. Yuns were a respected clan and angering them would cause no small amount of trouble.

"That is not your concern. Know only that if you deliver her to me unharmed, I will be able to help you much more… efficiently within a month or two." Scar dodged the question, which rubbed Serah the wrong way.

"And why do you need us to do this? You seem more than capable enough." Serah continued to question. Scar looked behind him to the pile of corpses that had been piled up in the distance.

"You still require my assistance? This is the price for my continued help." Scar answered and looked at Serah who crossed her arms and slightly lowered her head.

"If we do this, how do we know it won't cause another war? Yuns are among the most respected clans on Pulse, after all." Noel pointed out and Scar focused his attention on him.

"If she isn't harmed, I can guarantee you that no war will come from Pulse." Scar said adamantly and Noel looked to Serah for an answer.

"We will contact our leaders and tell you an answer as soon as possible." Serah said after a lengthy silence. Scar nodded in approval and watched as Serah and Noel rose up and headed for the communication station they had set up. There, they used a video call to contact their unofficial HQ in the heart of the current Capital.

"Serah, Noel. It is good to hear from you again. We already heard that the ambush went well. Do you have other news?" Cid Raines answered on the other end and he was alone in the room, which surprised Serah.

"Sir, the leader of the mercenaries you hired has a proposition for us." Serah began and Raines looked somewhat surprised. He nodded as a sign for Serah to continue.

"He asked us to capture a Yun woman coming to Cocoon in the next few days. He said that if we want his continued help, we have to do this. He also added that he could help us more efficiently in a month or two. I don't much like this, but we saw how efficient Scar and his men were today. It would be a shame to lose their support…" Serah gave her opinion on the matter and Noel nodded in agreement. Raines fell silent and began to slightly pace around the room that he was in.

"I will trust your judgment in this matter Serah. Tell him whatever answer you feel is right. Raines out." Raines answered after a lengthy while of pacing and ended the call. Serah sighed deeply and looked to Noel for support.

"So, we agree or what?" Noel asked and Serah didn't see another option. She only hoped that this wouldn't bite her in the ass later on. Making their way back to Scar near the campfire, they once more sat down.

"Our leadership has decided that your help is valuable enough for us to do this. So, will we go over details?" Serah spoke rather tiredly, which luckily escaped Scar's notice. He signaled for one of his men to bring him a map of the border regions between Pulse and Cocoon. Setting it down next to him, he gestured for Serah and Noel to come over.

"She has left Oerba today. It will take approximately two days to reach the border town of Hader. From there, she will acquire a visitor's pass and cross the border checkpoint some miles from there. Then the closest town is Bodhum, which is not far from here. That would be the optimal place to capture her. It will be safe here for at least a couple of days before the army mounts a more substantial assault, so that will be your time line." Scar told the plan he and his men had made while pointing to different points on the map and making sure Serah and Noel were following through each step.

"How many men will we need? Will she be armed?" Noel questioned and Scar shook his head.

"They won't let her through the border post with a weapon, but she is still a Yun, so having at least four or five men seems adequate. Any more than that will arouse too much suspicion. I take it you two will be leading the team?" Scar asked and both Serah and Noel nodded.

"So, if you take three more with you, the rest can stay here with us. Assuming that everything goes as planned, we'll be seeing you within a week or so and hopefully after that in a month or two." Scar finished and rolled up the map before giving it to one of his men. Serah stood up and offered her hand in a Cocoon style greeting. Scar took it firmly and shook it.

"We'll be setting off tomorrow morning. Good night, Scar." Serah bid and Scar slightly bowed his head in response. Noel left too, but in a different direction to pick the most capable men that he commanded. Serah made her way to the abandoned building she had used as a sleeping place and laid down on the mattress on the floor. It wasn't the most comfortable of sleeping places, but it sufficed for now.

It took sleep a long while to find Serah, as her mind was plagued by images of Lebreau and her sister. Going to Bodhum where her sister lived wasn't the brightest idea at the moment, but her cause demanded it. Hopefully, the help they would get in exchange would be worth the risk.

Outside, standing still by the campfire, Scar looked to the sky with a determined look on his face. _At last, the time had come_.


	4. A moment of peace

**XXX**

Fang sat on a log in her and Vanille's campsite. They had travelled for a day and were a day off from the nearest town. She saw their chocobos gaze into the distance out from the corner of her eye. Opposite of her, Vanille tried her best to cook some vegetables in a pot over the campfire. They hadn't taken much food, just enough to last a day. Vanille hummed a soft tune and Fang listened to it while reading a diary her father had given to her just before they departed for Fang's Search.

The diary was written by her mother, at least most of it. There were a few notes added by Fang's father and apparently her mother's brother. Fang didn't know that her mother even had a brother. In the first pages of the diary it was quite clear that the brother and Fang's father were on good terms and they both had similar views on what was good for Pulse. But Fang's mother saw things differently; she wrote with regret how neither of them saw potential in lasting peace and how they both wanted to retake lost areas on Cocoonian soil. Then there was the more private stuff, which Fang skipped over out of respect.

"She anything like you expected?" Vanille asked and sat down next to Fang who got spooked a little. She nodded and handed the book to Vanille with the first pages open. Vanille read through them rather fast, like she was searching for something.

"Aha, I knew it!" Vanille suddenly yelled and slammed the book into Fang's lap before jumping up. Fang looked at her curiously and Vanille couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"There are rumors about your mother's brother circulating among the "lesser" clans. Since Yun's are the dominant clan, though few in number, you're a fine target for gossip." Vanille teased Fang who huffed a little at the minor insult.

"If there are these rumors, why haven't I heard about them?" Fang questioned. It was odd that she hadn't heard about this before.

"Most people don't talk around Yuns, you know. They think you're all scary and noble and that talking to you is an insult to Pulse itself." Vanille said and Fang raised an eyebrow.

"I and your servants are an exception, of course. We have lived among your kind a long time, after all and know that you are mostly just like the rest of us. But the common folk don't know any better. Besides, this is the first time you've been this far from the castle without Royal Guards. Kinda lucky actually." Vanille ranted and Fang felt a little embarrassed. She didn't wanna frighten people. How was she supposed to rule the clans one day if she was so feared?

"But anyway, your mother's brother was called Scar, or so the rumors say. He supposedly died or disappeared after your mother died during that battle where her troops turned against her. Such a sad tale." Vanille lamented. Fang was silent for a long while, thinking about her mother.

"You think you could find out more? If it isn't certain that this Scar is dead, shouldn't he be living in Oerba with the rest of us? Besides, from what I've read about him so far, my father respected him greatly. Such a person should stand beside my father." Fang inquired from Vanille who tapped the ground with her foot nervously. Fang saw it and stood up also.

"What is it?" Fang asked from Vanille and placed her hands on the smaller ones shoulders. Vanille turned her head away.

"Nothing. The food is ready." Vanille simply said and escaped from Fang's grasp to divide the food between two plates. She handed the other to Fang along with a fork before sitting down. Fang was puzzled, but nonetheless sat down too and began to eat the delicious cooked vegetables. Their chocobos saw them eat and walked closer so as to partake in their festivities. Fang chuckled as her black chocobo pushed her head slightly with her own to make sure she had Fang's attention. Fang gave the leftovers to the chocobo and retrieved her backpack to give the bird some Gysahl Greens as well.

"You know you spoil her, don't you?" Vanille asked amusedly, her silent streak broken and a smile on her face once more. Fang chuckled and patted the bird's head lovingly. The bird laid down next to Fang and watched as her companion was fed by Vanille. Vanille's chocobo was of the regular yellow color, since only Yuns were allowed the rare black ones. As far as Fang knew, the only difference between different chocobos was the color.

"I can't help it. She has served me well and never once thrown me off. And she's fast. I bet she could outrun yours any day." Fang joked and Vanille smiled a little more as her chocobo laid down too.

"We'll have to test that tomorrow. But for now, we should get some sleep. Enduring this one day out in the open will be worth it after we reach Hader. You'll get a taste of Dia hostility… I mean hospitality." Vanille said sarcastically and Fang chuckled. She laid her head down on the soft wing of her chocobo who welcomed Fang there. Vanille did the same and soon Fang fell asleep.

When Vanille was certain that Fang was fast asleep, she got up and retrieved a small parchment of paper and a pen from her backpack. She began to write…

_One day away from Hader. Fang learned of you, thanks to your sister's diary. She doesn't know that you are alive, however. Plan will proceed as planned. May Pulse watch over you._

_- Vanille_

Vanille rolled up the small letter and began to walk a certain distance away from the campsite. After she felt she was far enough away, she whistled for a hawk to approach her. A nearby one heard the call and landed on Vanille's arm. Vanille gave the letter to the hawk and told it to fly to Old Eden on Cocoon. The hawk nodded briefly and took off. Vanille looked after it for a while, reminding herself that what she was doing was for the benefit of Gran Pulse. She just hoped that Fang would one day forgive her.

**XXX**

Lightning was jogging her usual route through Bodhum in the evening. Sweat covered her body, sometimes falling to her eyes which annoyed her. But she endured the small annoyance, as these little runs were the only real time she felt truly free; free from duty and commitment and free from responsibilities, at least for a little while. The only thing on her mind was the road and the sky and it helped unburden her. Her sister used to accompany her, at least until she left to join the renegades. Afterwards, it was too awkward for them to spend too much time together.

Lightning's jog was nearing its end and she could see Lebreau waiting for her at the front of her house. She had a small table with two chairs around it in her small front yard. She spotted a few beverages on the table and Lebreau was downing one of them right now. Lightning smiled as she finished the jog and sat down opposite of Lebreau while picking up a drink from the table.

"You must turn some eyes while out there." Lebreau casually said and Lightning nearly choked on her drink. Lebreau burst out laughing and Lightning's cheeks reddened slightly.

"I'm sorry, I forgot you don't take flattery well." Lebreau said as her laughter was dying down. Lightning took a big gulp from her drink and looked at Lebreau.

"No problem, as long as you don't mean anything by it." Lightning said with a hint of seriousness in her tone. Lebreau nodded and smiled before taking a sip from her own drink.

"I might mean something by it, although you would never understand it." Lebreau teased and Lightning rolled her eyes in response, causing Lebreau to chuckle. They had been good friends in the military, even though Lebreau had started as a soldier under Lightning's command. Lebreau might have wanted more than friendship from Lightning, but Lightning had made it very clear that nothing could happen between them. Lebreau respected that, but still couldn't help but tease Lightning now and then.

"Anyway, the military tried to contact you. I answered in your stead and gave my report on the battle of Old Eden as well. They didn't sound too happy about the result." Lebreau said in shame and Lightning could clearly see that the defeat she had suffered wasn't something Lebreau would easily forget or forgive herself.

"You did all you could. Now, what did they want?" Lightning inquired and Lebreau withdrew an official letter from her pocket and handed it to Lightning. She didn't have to read far and Lebreau's wide smile gave the contents away almost immediately.

"I've been… promoted?" Lightning asked half-confused. Lebreau nodded and Lightning had to read the whole letter. Most of it was ceremonial mumbo-jumbo, but the message was clear; she was now a Warrant Officer. A high rank for one so young, but then again, Lightning worked very hard to be the very best she could.

Lightning placed the letter on the table and stood up. She went inside her house and straight to the liquor cabinet. She retrieved an old champagne bottle left to her by her father. She went to the kitchen to open it and pour some of it to two glasses before taking the glasses and the bottle outside.

"Here, this is a special enough occasion. You do drink champagne, right?" Lightning inquired and Lebreau nodded.

"Of course I do. Although your new title doesn't sound so good with your surname now. Warrant Officer Farron doesn't have the same ring as Sergeant Farron." Lebreau joked and Lightning chuckled a little.

"True, but that just means I'll have to reach Lieutenant fast." Lightning joked and Lebreau raised a humorous eyebrow.

"Whoa whoa, slow down there. Most people take some time between ranks you know? You're already higher ranked than everyone your age and even people older than you." Lebreau pointed out.

"So what? I need to climb the ranks. You won't change Cocoon while being at the bottom. Now, what would truly put me ahead, would be eliminating the renegades. But sadly, High Command won't sanction a full-scale assault on our own soil." Lightning lamented and drank her first glass of champagne. Lebreau did so too and Lightning filled their glasses again.

"What if they wouldn't need to?" Lebreau pointed out and Lightning raised her eyebrows in curiosity.

"We could capture someone important, make them tell who leads them and make a precise strike on their headquarters." Lebreau suggested, but Lightning shook her head.

"We've tried that, they won't break. Their loyalty to their cause is too great, the fools." Lightning said in small admiration. But Lebreau leaned closer across the table.

"What about your sister?" Lebreau suggested and Lightning instinctively slapped Lebreau with her free hand. Lebreau recoiled, like she expected that outcome. Lightning felt stupid for lashing out and retreated slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…" Lightning trailed off, but Lebreau shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. I might have worded my sentence a little badly. I only meant that maybe your sister could tell us of her own free will. She doesn't appear as fanatical as most of the renegades." Lebreau said and Lightning looked at her suspiciously. Lebreau knew she had slipped up.

"How would you know?" Lightning questioned and Lebreau tried to keep her face neutral.

"Just hearsay mostly. Listening in on renegade encampments gives you all kinds of curious information." Lebreau lied, but convincingly enough that Lightning let it go. They continued to drink the champagne in relative silence, all the while ignorant to the fact that Serah was closer than they could possibly imagine.

**XXX**

_**AN:**_The Cocoonian Military ranks are loosely based on those used in my country, if anyone was interested.


	5. Relations broken and forged

_**AN:**_ I hope everyone had a nice Christmas or a nice "whatever you celebrate"!

**XXX**

Serah stared at her sister through her binoculars, fear and hope both evident on her face. Blood ties are not easily broken, even when duty demands it. Serah and Lightning still saw each other and interacted, even though they were sworn enemies; Lightning fighting for the government and Serah against it. It wasn't easy and both hoped that the other one would see reason.

"You're going to go see her?" Noel asked as he crept up to Serah who got a little spooked. She lowered the binoculars and turned around to face Noel.

"I'm not sure. I shouldn't but…" Serah trailed off and Noel gave her an easy smile.

"Go on ahead. I just got word from Scar that the Yun is on schedule, so we won't need you for at least a few hours. And besides, we have a lookout at the ambush spot." Noel said easily and Serah smiled back at him. She placed the binoculars down on the table next to her and slipped past Noel to exit her hotel room.

"Thanks Noel. Contact me if anything changes." Serah said as she disappeared down the hallway, leaving Noel and their team behind. She called the elevator at the end of the hallway and used it to get to the ground floor. Making her way out of the hotel and on to the street, a thought popped up in her head. _I should get something for Claire, to ease our meeting._ Serah thought as she looked down the street and saw the familiar store she had visited so many times.

Serah made her way to the store and entered it. Inside she was greeted by the owner and his son, who both knew her very well.

"Serah!" Dajh shouted as he ran up to hug the much taller girl. Serah smiled as she embraced the young lad and heard his father laugh behind the counter.

"Ms. Farron, a pleasure as always. I didn't know you were in town." Sazh greeted and Serah chuckled a little as she let go of Dajh to focus her attention on the father.

"I arrived a few hours ago, came to see my sister." Serah said briefly, her eyes already scanning the store for something to buy for her sister. Sazh saw her looking around and went to the backroom of the store. He came back with a necklace in the shape of a lightning bolt. He gave it to Serah who looked at it amazed.

"This is incredible craftsmanship, Sazh! Did you do this?" Serah questioned in wonderment and Sazh nodded proudly. Serah gently put the necklace into her pocket and took out her wallet.

"How much?" Serah asked, but Sazh shook his head.

"It's free. I was going to give it to Lightning as a birthday gift, but seeing you come back to town made me change my mind. Just tell her I made it and we're even." Sazh said with a smile on his face and Serah gratefully nodded.

"Thanks Sazh. I better get going, I'm kinda on a schedule here." Serah said and waved her goodbyes to both Sazh and Dajh as she exited the store. Back on the street she sighed deeply as she saw the police station just across the street; an ugly reminder that she wasn't as welcome everywhere as she was at that store. Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, Serah began to make her way to her house. It felt strange to call it that, even if it was true. She had gotten used to living like she did, never staying long in one place. But having a place to call home was still nice.

After a short walk, Serah was just outside the door that currently separated her and Lightning. Serah raised her fist to knock and slammed it against the door twice. She heard footsteps coming towards the door and she readied herself. But when the door opened, Serah froze. _Lebreau?!_ Serah nearly shouted, but luckily only in her head. Lebreau looked just as shocked, and neither of them moved.

"Who's at the door Lebreau?" Lightning asked as she too came to the door. Her reaction was quite similar to everyone else's.

"Serah?" Lightning asked in disbelief and the sound of her name unfroze Serah who turned her eyes away from Lebreau and towards her sister.

"Hey Claire." Serah said slowly, as if to test the waters. Much to her relief, Lightning smiled at her.

"Come on Lebreau, move aside and let her in." Lightning said and Lebreau unfroze too. She looked at Serah warily, but let her in nonetheless. Inside the house, Serah looked around to see that nothing had really changed. She carefully began to walk towards her room to see if Lightning had kept her promise to stay away from there. She couldn't go far though before Lebreau grabbed her arm.

"We need to talk." Lebreau said rather angrily and Serah looked at her with warning eyes to remind her what she had said back at Old Eden. Lightning saw the way they looked at each other and walked to the middle of them.

"Lebreau, let go." Lightning ordered and Lebreau obeyed. Lightning then turned towards her sister who was about to open her mouth before her mobile beeped. Serah quickly took it out and read the message she had received. _Oh come on._ Serah thought as she dashed out the door and towards their supposed ambush point. Noel had sent a message that the Yun had arrived earlier than expected. Following hot on Serah's heels was her sister, who shouted after her as she ran.

"Turn back Claire! We'll talk later!" Serah shouted as she ran, but Lightning still continued after her.

"Just stop, you and Lebreau are acting weirdly. What's going on?!" Lightning shouted too as she ran.

"I'll explain later, just go home now. You're not safe out here right now!" Serah shouted back once more before she heard gunfire. _What the hell? The Yun was supposed to be unarmed!_ Serah thought as she withdrew her sword from her back. Lightning saw this and took out her gunblade as well. When they reached the street where Serah and her team were supposed to ambush the Yun, the battle was already over.

The Yun stood amidst the dead bodies of Serah's team while holding her spear to Noel's throat who was begging for his life quite loudly. Behind the Yun stood a red haired girl holding an odd looking weapon. Both Serah and Lightning stopped dead on their tracks a few meters away from the Yun.

"What's going on here?!" Lightning demanded angrily, but received no answer. The Yun withdrew her spear from Noel's throat and readied herself for a fight. The red haired girl looked at both Lightning and Serah and wondered what she should do. Noel crawled away from the battlefield as fast as he could, as he couldn't do anything without his weapons.

Without further words, the Yun jumped towards Serah who deftly dodged her spear. Lightning attacked the Yun from the side who saw it coming and managed to block with her spear. Serah saw her opportunity to strike and made a slash towards the Yun's leg. The Yun barely managed to dodge it, but her focus slipped just enough so that Lightning could press her advantage with her blade. She cut a nice wound across the Yun's stomach who cried out in pain and dropped her weapon. She held her stomach as she kneeled on the ground with her head down.

Lightning then turned her weapon towards the red haired girl who reacted too quickly for Lightning to counter. The girl's weapon was apparently a rod of some kind as it snatched Lightning's gunblade away. Left unarmed, Lightning didn't move. Serah didn't move either, even if she still had her weapon, instead waiting for the girl's next move.

"Which of you is Serah?" The red haired girl suddenly asked, confusing everyone else present. Serah slowly raised her hand and the girl suddenly holstered her weapon.

"I'm Vanille, now help me bandage Fang's wound, quickly." Vanille ordered as she ran to the wounded Yun. _So Vanille and Fang are their names._ Serah thought as she lowered down to Fang's level who still held her stomach. In the background, Noel picked up an assault rifle from one of his fallen comrades and pointed it towards Lightning.

"What do we do Serah?" Noel asked and Serah saw what he was doing. She quickly waved him off.

"No, let her go. Claire, please go." Serah said as she looked at her sister who looked both furious and a little sad. Lightning didn't say anything, but began to retreat from the scene. As Lightning disappeared around the corner, Serah remembered the necklace in her pocket. _Another time then…_ Serah sighed as she helped Vanille bandage up Fang in silence. Noel walked around the battlefield, collecting the weapons of their fallen comrades, as well as making sure their eyes were closed.

"Who are you, exactly?" Serah asked from Vanille who looked at her with surprisingly kind eyes. It caught Serah off guard.

"I'm Fang's Guardian, as well as an ally of our mutual friend." Vanille said and Fang hissed "_What?!_" loudly enough for them to hear. It caused her great pain however, making Serah's and Vanille's work that much harder.

"You'll understand soon enough Fang. Right now, I need you to stay calm so that your wound stays still and doesn't bleed so much." Vanille said as she finished her bandaging. With Serah's help, she managed to get Fang standing again.

"Do you have a vehicle of some sort?" Vanille asked and Serah looked at Noel who pointed to the nearby alley. Serah and Vanille helped Fang walk there and Noel rushed ahead to start the car. Helping Fang to the back seat, they began to drive to Old Eden to meet Scar. The drive went by in silence, apart from the few grunts Fang made. After a while, they arrived to Old Eden, where Scar was waiting for them.

"I see that you didn't succeed completely." Scar said with a hint of anger in his voice as Fang was helped out of the car and brought along with the rest to stand in front of Scar. Vanille knelt in front of Scar and placed a hand above her heart in respect.

"Rise, child of the Dia clan. One day, you may bow down to me, but for now, all of us are equal under the stars." Scar said and gestured for Vanille to rise up. Fang was furious at the sight; Vanille bowed to this man like she had bowed to Dark Mane. The very gesture reeked of betrayal far worse than Fang had expected after the recent battle and its events.

"Serah and Noel. Why is Fang here in this condition? My instructions were clear; bring her here unharmed." Scar questioned with anger in his voice, making Noel back away slightly. Serah stood her ground and looked Scar in the eye as she spoke.

"Fang arrived armed for some reason and we weren't prepared for it. I was on a business of my own and when I got news of Fang's arrival, the situation had already escalated into a fight. After a brief confrontation, Fang was… subdued." Serah told a semi-truth, hoping that no-one would correct her.

"So Noel was the one leading the ambush?" Scar asked after a brief silence, his demeanor turning more and more hostile. Serah and Vanille nodded.

"I see. Apologies for the poor state you were put into, your Highness." Scar said to Fang and his demeanor changed quickly as he said those words. Fang looked surprised, as did Serah and Noel, but Vanille seemed to know what was going on.

"I'm afraid you aren't aware of everything you should be, and I had to make sure this encounter would happen. I didn't intend for it to happen quite this way, but here you are." Scar again spoke to Fang who raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I will make everything clear to you in due time, but for now, you must recover. Vanille, can you see to it that she gets everything she wants?" Scar questioned Vanille who nodded gracefully. Serah and Noel saw this as a good moment to rejoin the rest of their comrades and to leave Scar alone. As the people scattered to different directions, Serah thought about how badly things had gone and deep down she knew that her relations with Lightning had deteriorated to a very low point. As Serah looked to the sky, she wondered would they ever again live like they used to.


	6. Revelations

_**A day earlier, on the other side of Gran Pulse...**_

On the other side of Gran Pulse, where the clans under Dark Mane's rule are not welcome, a child Empress rules her vast Empire known as the Paddrian Empire, named after its capital city and founder. Few know of the Empire's existence on Cocoon or on the other side of Gran Pulse, but the rulers of the Empire have influenced history from the very beginning. Paddra, the first ruler, saw the potential in the people of Cocoon and unlike his counterpart on the other side, didn't pursue war. Instead, he and his heirs focused on science and art as well as on the arcane. Even though magic has been all but forgotten, few still know their share of the Old Arts. The Empress Yeul is one such person.

Yeul conjured a small ball of fire in her hand and a wide smile spread on her lips, making her lose focus. The loss of focus made the fire go wild and climb up her hand. Luckily, her mentor Caius saw what was happening and quickly used conjured water to douse the flame.

"Careful, your Highness. The joy of a small success isn't worth burning yourself over." Caius said with a firm tone. Yeul's smile faded and she nodded in agreement. Even though she was only 15-years-old, she shared the wisdom and patience of those who had ruled before her.

Once again, Yeul conjured a small ball of fire, but this time she kept her focus and began to levitate it higher. Once it was a good distance above her, she moved it towards the chandelier and succeeded in lighting all the candles on it. Then, with a small snap of her fingers, the fire disappeared. A renewed smile appeared on Yeul's lips and she turned towards Caius who nodded approvingly.

"Well done, your Highness. If matters of the state weren't waiting for your attention, we could have tried some ice magic." Caius said and Yeul nodded a little sadly. As Caius began to walk out of the training room, Yeul began to follow. They passed many rooms and corridors when walking through the Imperial Summer Palace. As the court room was on the opposite side of the building, it took them a while to reach it. During the walk, hundreds of people greeted their Empress and her regent. Caius didn't respond to the greetings, but Yeul was all too happy to wave her hand at all those who greeted her.

When they entered the court room, Yeul was greeted by a few generals and spies as well as a man she didn't recognize. They all bowed before her as she walked up the stairs leading to her throne. Seating herself on it and Caius standing beside her, she was ready to receive today's visitors and undoubtedly their important news.

"Your Highness, if I may begin?" One of the generals asked and took a step forward to separate himself from the rest. Yeul motioned with her hand and the general bowed slightly before clearing his throat.

"Thank you, your Highness. I'm pleased to report that the fiends that had been threatening some of our most remote villages have been routed. Trade from those villages will soon resume." The general informed, saluted and retreated back to the line. The next general stepped forward and Yeul motioned for her to speak.

"Your Highness, I'm pleased to report that the new generation of soldiers for our Armed Forces has now been successfully trained. Our soldiers now number 2.1 million in footsoldiers alone." The general informed and saluted before retreating back into the line. Next up was one of the spies. He stepped forward and pulled out a letter from his cloak. Caius walked down the steps to retrieve it and walked it back to Yeul who read through it. It gave details on what Dark Mane had been doing for the past month. Many points caught Yeul's eye, but they would have to wait until later. Yeul handed the letter back to Caius before motioning for the next spy to step forward.

Like the spy before her, this spy too procured a letter from her cloak and Caius walked down to retrieve it. When it reached Yeul, she quickly read through it. It contained the report of all the successful and failed operations inside Dark Mane's territory and Cocoon. The one that caught Yeul's eye immediately was the fact that Dark Mane's daughter had been successfully let into Cocoon with all her belongings, including her weapon. Even though that wasn't exactly what was asked of her by an ally, she had this feeling that this was the better way to handle things. Yeul also made a mental note to promote the spies in the border guard. The other operations weren't that important compared to that and thus Yeul passed the letter back to Caius.

After the spy retreated back into line, it was the stranger's turn to step forward. He bowed in respect, but the aura about him told Yeul he wasn't from here. He took a letter from one of his pockets and cleared his throat before Yeul motioned for him to speak.

"Your Imperial Majesty, I am here on behalf of Dark Mane, the leader of the clans and High Chief of the Yun clan. He humbly send me as a messenger to request your aid in matters both economic and military related." The messenger spoke and Yeul looked towards Caius who stared at the man with judging eyes.

"Continue." Caius commanded and the man nodded before clearing his throat again. He then rolled open the letter and began to read from it.

"We as Pulsians should establish firmer ties between our peoples. We share common enemies in the fiends that threaten us both and both of our… nations… produce wares the other doesn't. We thus suggest that you send a small squad of your soldiers and a few of the merchants with this messenger along with a map of a viable and safe trade route as a sign of good faith." The messenger read the letter and rather nervously looked from Caius to Yeul and thus didn't even see the angry looks from the people beside him. Yeul knew very well that her Empire produced everything that the clans did and more and that the fiends were a much more dire threat to the clans than to her Empire. Still, the benefit of having new markets for her people to sell their goods at and foreigners to send to die against the fiends instead of her own people sounded good. However, as Dark Mane's rule was all but certain, Yeul needed to know more. She stood up and walked to the edge of the stairs.

"How did you find your way here?" Yeul asked with a gentle tone that eased the messenger a little. He looked at the male general before returning his attention to Yeul.

"His men caught me far away from here and brought me here. I wasn't anywhere near one of your villages, so I assume they were scouting or something. I explained to them that I was a messenger and when I mentioned Dark Mane they immediately began to escort me here. Without those men, I probably would have been wandering the wilderness for quite some time." The messenger spoke and the male general nodded to confirm his story. Yeul looked at Caius who motioned for Yeul to return to the throne. After Yeul seated herself again, Caius lowered himself to Yeul's level.

"This was rather unexpected. We have an alliance of sorts with Scar and accepting Dark Mane's offer publicly like this would jeopardize that. Still, there are a few ways we can go about this, your Highness. The easiest way would be to simply execute him as a foreign spy. We don't need whatever Dark Mane could offer if Scar succeeds as is likely to happen, due to our indirect aid. A second way would be to accept what this man offers. If Scar doesn't succeed, we still have a solid foundation for more extensive cooperation with Dark Mane. The risk then is clear, but with luck Scar would understand our reasons for a temporary alliance with Dark Mane against fiends if he succeeds. Or the third way is to simply wait for a few weeks to see how things progress on the other side and on Cocoon. When things are clearer, we give our… answer." Caius laid out the options and Yeul looked from Caius to her generals and spies. They clearly didn't like this foreigner. Yeul sighed a little and rose from her throne once more to address the men and women below her.

"Honored guest from the clans, we can't give you an answer at this time. However, we would welcome you to stay here until we can give you an answer. You would be treated well and fairly, as long as you obey our laws." Yeul offered and the messenger quickly nodded in agreement, fearing what would happen if he were to refuse.

"Very well then. A servant will show you to your quarters and give you a tour around the city. The rest of you are dismissed for the day. Thank you." Yeul said and watched as the generals and spies bowed once more before leaving.

"A wise choice, your Highness." Caius said and Yeul nodded happily.

"A second person to find his way here in the past five years. Well, technically at least. He was led here while Scar made the trip by himself. Quite a feat, especially during winter." Yeul spoke with slight amazement in her voice. Caius chuckled a little at the memory.

"Indeed. At first he made my blood boil, showing no respect to you or me and having this aura of superiority around him that no-one like him should have. But after he proved himself in battle and at court, even I was happy to have him here, at least for a while. I think he proved to us both the value of the clans on the other side." Caius spoke and Yeul couldn't agree more. For hundreds of years the Paddrian Empire had influenced events from the shadows, but Scar had convinced them that this needn't be the case.

_**Current day, Old Eden on Cocoon…**_

Scar watched as Serah looked at the weapons Noel brought from the scene where Fang was captured. A well-made gunblade held Serah's attention for a long while and out of curiosity Scar made his way to Serah's side.

"Like what you see?" Scar asked and Serah got spooked a little as she didn't hear Scar coming due to being deep in thought.

"This is my sister's…" Serah simply said and Scar was taken by surprise.

"How did it end on the battlefield?" Scar asked and Serah sighed deeply.

"She followed me there and fought against Fang with me. She was the one who subdued Fang, in fact." Serah said and Scar pieced the puzzle together.

"So that was what your "business" meant earlier. You were off seeing your sister. So, she is with the rebels too?" Scar asked and saw pain flash through Serah's eyes.

"She's with the government…" Serah said rather weakly, once again surprising Scar. However, this could prove to their advantage, if handled correctly.

"So how come you're here and she isn't?" Scar asked carefully. Serah remained silent for a lengthy while and Scar was already about to leave when she spoke.

"I lost an important person in my life because of the government and its backward policies. This person was only visiting Pulse. He wanted to get me a special gift that couldn't be found or bought from here. The people on the border let him through to Pulse easily enough, but when he tried to return after a week or so, they shot him. They couldn't risk him having been turned into a spy, they told me. I was furious and broken at the same time. I took the matter to court, but they said that the murder's reason was justified as he "could have been brainwashed to serve the savages". I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My sister was sympathetic to me, of course, and promised to get justice, but what could she do? She was just a low ranking grunt in the army. The rebels heard of this and after I showed promise they recruited me. I was all too happy to join after what happened." Serah told the tale to Scar who surprisingly listened to all of it.

"Not to sound detached, but your story is common even among our clans. Anybody visiting Cocoon for lengthy periods of time comes under heavy scrutiny and will most likely be executed if they don't have witnesses or solid proof of what they were doing here." Scar said and Serah nodded in understanding. Without further words, Scar departed to his own business and Serah was once again left alone. She took Lightning's gunblade and holstered it next to her own sword. _One more thing to give to her…_


	7. To relax and to relinquish

**XXX**

Lightning was sitting in a couch at her home with a small glass of whiskey in her hand. She drank from it and let the burn subside before putting the glass down on to the table in front of her. Lebreau looked at her worriedly.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, about meeting your sister, I mean." Lebreau managed to say and Lightning just nodded weakly.

"It's okay Lebreau, you promised her not to. I can respect that." Lightning said with a small smile and Lebreau felt relieved. Lebreau took the whiskey bottle from the table from which Lightning had been pouring herself drinks and filled her own glass again.

"So, you return to your duties tomorrow?" Lebreau asked after a brief silence and Lightning nodded.

"Yeah, although I think it won't be my regular duties." Lightning answered and Lebreau raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Why's that?" Lebreau asked and Lightning rose up from her couch and motioned for Lebreau to follow her into her bedroom where her computer was located. Lightning sat down in front of it and opened up one of her most recent emails. Lightning let Lebreau read it over.

_Warrant Officer Farron,_

_You have been chosen for a newly formed squad that responds directly to me. I expect you to be at my office in the Bodhum area at 0800 hours tomorrow. Failure to comply will result in demotion and a mandatory leave._

_Lieutenant Colonel Yaag Rosch of the FUSE Squad_

"FUSE Squad? Never heard of it before. What do you think it's all about?" Lebreau questioned but Lightning simply shrugged. Rosch was notorious for his ruthless tactics during the last war and known to be extremely bitter. That probably meant that this new squad had something to do with Pulsians, but what?

"I'll find out tomorrow. But for now, I need to relax, like really relax. You up for a trip to the spa?" Lightning asked from Lebreau who was taken by surprise. This was a rare thing to hear from Lightning, since she seldom had time to "relax" as it were. But Lebreau wasn't going to say no.

"Sure. But uhhh, I don't have any swimwear with me and my home is quite a distance away." Lebreau reminded Lightning who chuckled softly.

"We can buy you some on our way there. Just let me pack my things and I'll see you outside in my car, okay?" Lightning asked and Lebreau nodded before departing Lightning's bedroom. Lightning wasted no time in getting to her drawer and packing her bikini into a small pack along with a change of clothes, a towel and some other "essentials". Lightning shut down her computer before leaving her house and locking the door (which Lebreau had kindly replaced). She placed her pack into the trunk of her car before getting in.

"Right, forgot to ask. How's your wound? Healed enough that they won't kick you out for bleeding all over their precious pools?" Lightning questioned as she started the car and began to drive towards the nearest clothes store she knew of.

"Yeah, these military grade meds really do wonders. Makes me wonder why they don't sell them to common citizens." Lebreau wondered and Lightning chuckled a bit bitterly.

"Supremacy. The military needs to be ahead in all things, no matter how stupid it is. But let's not dwell on that, okay? This is supposed to be relaxing." Lightning tried to change the topic, which again surprised Lebreau. Usually Lightning could talk about the military for hours, but something seemed off today. Maybe the encounter with her sister? Lebreau felt it best to just leave it be, however and decided to switch on the radio instead.

"Do you know of a Yun named Fang?" Lightning asked just as they were parking outside a small clothes store. Lebreau was surprised to hear that name from Lightning's lips out of nowhere.

"Yes, she is the heir to the throne on Pulse. Why do you ask?" Lebreau answered and Lightning nearly got frozen solid. _A member of the nobility, here? What the hell is going on and what is my sister involved in?_ Lightning thought about these questions as Lebreau looked at her worriedly.

"Claire, you okay?" Lebreau asked and the sound of her real name unfroze Lightning.

"Yeah, yeah. Just go buy yourself a nice bikini or a swimsuit, if you prefer. I'll wait here." Lightning lightly teased at the end, making Lebreau chuckle despite the weird situation. As Lebreau exited the car, Lightning began to suspect what this FUSE Squad was really all about. If Lebreau was right, then having a member of the Pulsian nobility here was an enormous opportunity to even further subjugate the Pulsians. But who would be good enough to be with her in the squad? Lightning didn't like boasting all that much, but it felt like a fact that she was much better than 99% of the entire military. All these thoughts were pushed to the back of Lightning's mind when someone knocked at her car's window.

"Hey Light, lower the window?" Hope said with a smile on his face as Lightning lowered the window. Hope and his parents had been close friends with Lightning's own family before they all had died, but Hope was still around, studying hard to become an archeologist one day.

"Hey Hope. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" Lightning questioned and Hope shook his head a little.

"Nah, I've a day off. What about you, what're you doing here?" Hope asked in return and Lightning saw Lebreau approaching the car and pointed towards her.

"We are going to the spa to relax and Lebreau needed a new swimsuit." Lightning said and Hope blushed a little. Lightning chuckled and saw Lebreau look at her curiously before getting in the car.

"Hey Hope. I didn't know you had any spare time these days." Lebreau said to Hope through Lightning's open window and Hope chuckled a little.

"Yeah well, I better not keep you here any longer. Sazh asked me to stop by when I had the change, so I'm going there. Have fun you two." Hope said as he began to leave and Lightning and Lebreau waved their goodbyes as they began to drive towards the spa once more.

**XXX**

Fang was lying on a makeshift bed in the ruins of Old Eden and staring at the empty ceiling. Vanille sat at the floor next to her, neither having really spoken to each other since that ambush. Fang's wound had been healed with the use of stolen military grade medicine, but she hadn't been allowed to leave.

"Fang please, just talk to me. There is a good reason for this all." Vanille tried once again to start a conversation, but Fang remained silent. Her wound may have healed, but the inner wounds wouldn't be so easily healed.

"Vanille?" Serah softly asked through the old door frame and Vanille looked at her with a surprised look. Vanille got up and walked out of the room to talk with Serah.

"What is it?" Vanille returned in a soft tone. Serah tilted her head towards the campfire, where Scar sat with Noel. Vanille understood what was going on and followed Serah over there.

"Any progress with our… guest?" Scar asked and Vanille shook her head.

"Let me go and see her, I'll make her talk." Noel stood up and volunteered a bit too eagerly perhaps and Scar shot a menacing glance at him.

"After your recent failure, I wouldn't trust you to tie my boots. Now sit back down." Scar growled at Noel who backed out in fear. Serah had noticed how Scar's demeanor changed often depending on who he was speaking with. With people he didn't approve of, he was immediately hostile and angry. With people he was currently evaluating, there was this slightly passive-aggressive vibe going on, but with people he approved of, he was very… kind wasn't maybe the word, but more… soft?

"Perhaps we should all go speak with her. A familiar face with two new ones might make her talk." Serah suggested and to her surprise, Vanille nodded at the idea. Scar closed his eye for a brief period before standing up. He walked over to the weapon's pile they had made of captured weapons and retrieved Fang's spear from there.

"Come on, we will make her see reason." Scar said softly, erasing the initial fear of what was going to happen from Vanille's mind. She and Serah followed Scar to Fang's "hut" and Fang surprisingly rose up to greet them.

"Your Highness, would you be willing to talk with me. As I'm sure you can see by now, no-one means you any harm here, despite what some fuck-ups tried to prove to you earlier." Scar began the conversation and lowered himself down to one knee to hand Fang her spear back. Fang took it and immediately whipped it around so that the pointy end was at Scar's throat.

"I came here for my Search and I'm barely through the border when I'm attacked by Cocoonians under a Yun's command? Please, do explain to me, why I should listen to a word you say?" Fang steamed at Scar, who carefully rose up, stopping for a moment at a time so that Fang could raise her spear too. Vanille and Serah stood silently on both sides waiting to see what would happen.

"Vanille has probably told you about a man named Scar?" Scar started and Fang nodded slowly.

"I am Scar and whatever you believe I am or whatever you believe I'm trying to accomplish here shouldn't matter. Why I wanted you here is what should matter." Scar said and Fang looked at Vanille with a questioning look and Vanille nodded to affirm that the man was speaking truly.

"Then you are my mother's brother… My uncle." Fang said and Scar nodded. Serah was confused, but decided it was best to stay quiet in this situation. Fang slowly retracted her spear from Scar's throat and holstered it.

"Then speak. Why am I here?" Fang questioned with a certain lack of emotion in her voice.

"You are the heir to a powerful throne back in our homeland. But that throne is not meant for you. You haven't fought to preserve it and neither have you tried to change it." Scar said with a surprisingly bitter tone. Fang looked at him confusedly and Vanille observed Fang carefully.

"You are here to relinquish your claim to it and grant it to me upon your father's death. In exchange, you will be offered the freedom you have desired; the freedom to live as you choose." Scar told his demands and Fang fell silent. One question immediately popped in her head.

"Why now? You could have demanded this from me at any time over the years." Fang asked and Scar shook his head.

"I'm not so stupid as to try and reach you through your father. When Vanille informed me of your desire to find a suitable… partner here, I saw an opportunity. If you swear off the throne and grant it to me in front of witnesses your father can't refuse, I vow before the same witnesses to grant you the freedom you truly came here to seek. There doesn't have to be any bad blood between us, your Highness." Scar spoke and Fang turned her gaze once more from Scar to Vanille.

"You knew of this all along?" Fang asked and Vanille nodded unsurely. Fang sighed. She had never truly been interested in ruling, but she respected her father and mother too much to simply abandon her claim… or did she? Her father would never truly allow her to marry a Cocoonian or a woman for that matter. But Scar was her mother's brother, so the throne would stay in the family, at the least. Her mother could accept that or so Fang hoped.

"Why do you want the throne?" Fang needed to know at least this one thing more, if she truly wanted her uncle to follow in her father's footsteps instead of her.

"I know how to bring prosperity back to our people, all of them, not just the Yuns. I have powerful allies who would ensure that our people would live freely like we used to. No more pointless war to prove to ourselves we are superior to the people here. And what probably matters to you the most, the breaking of age-old traditions. Your mother saw a future that I and your father were too blind to see back then." Scar spoke and the mention of her mother's wishes made Fang more certain of her decision.

"All right Scar. If Vanille trusts you, I feel I can trust you, even given what has happened recently. I will do as you ask." Fang said and a smile crept up onto Vanille's lips. Serah had witnessed history in the making, and she had been part of that. Now she understood how Scar could help them better with the help of this woman. But the only question Serah didn't have an answer to was the time frame; within a month or two… How old was Fang's father and how Scar would know so surely when he would die? Serah decided to keep these questions to herself for now and followed the rest outside where Fang and Scar would make the vows in front of several Yun's under Scar's command.


End file.
